Alaska
Airlines Pilot Arrested For Flying While Under
The Influence Of Alcohol

January 21, 2016 -
Los Angeles,
Federal authorities have arrested a former
captain with Alaska Airlines on federal charges
of piloting a plane with passengers while under
the influence of alcohol.

David Hans Arntson, 60, a resident of
Newport Beach, was arrested yesterday
morning and was arraigned on the felony charge
yesterday afternoon in federal court in
Los Angeles. Arntson was
released on a $25,000 bond and was ordered to
appear for an arraignment on February 10.

According to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday
in United States District Court, Arntson was the
pilot of two Alaska Airlines flights on June 20,
2014. The first flight was from
San DiegoInternationalAirport
to
Portland, Oregon. He then flew a plane from Portland, Oregon, to JohnWayneAirport in
OrangeCounty.

After landing at
JohnWayneAirport,
Arntson was selected for random drug and alcohol
testing by Alaska Airlines. A technician for
Alaska Airlines performed two tests on Arntson
and received results that the pilot had a blood
alcohol concentration of 0.134 percent and 0.142
percent.

After the technician
informed Alaska Airlines of the test results, it
removed Arntson from all safety-sensitive
duties.

According to federal law, a person operating a
“common carrier,” such as a commercial airliner,
is presumed to be under the influence of alcohol
when his or her blood alcohol content is 0.10
percent or higher.

Arntson’s co-pilot
on the two flights on June 20 remembered seeing
the drug tester when the plane landed at John
Wayne Airport and recalled Arntson say “I bet
it’s for me,” according to the complaint.
Following the June 20, 2014, incident, Arntson
retired from Alaska Airlines.

“Those in command of passenger jets, or any
other form of public transportation, have an
obligation to serve the public in the safest and
most responsible way possible,” said United
States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “We cannot and
will not tolerate those who violate the trust of
their passengers by endangering lives.”

Alaska Airlines in a press statement stated; "Alaska
Airlines has an uncompromising commitment to safety and
compliance. We put the safety of our passengers and our
employees above all else. We have a zero tolerance
policy for employees, including pilots, who fail alcohol
and drug tests.
Mr. Arntson was immediately removed from duty. He
refused to submit to an investigatory interview. Mr.
Arnston left the company before we were able to complete
an investigation that would have led to his
termination."